Tigers Have 32 on NFL Rosters

July 30, 2011

CLEMSON, SC – Thirty-two former Clemson football players, including eight members of the 2010 Clemson team are in NFL training camps this weekend. Six members of last year’s team were drafted and two others signed free agent contracts.

Twenty-one of the 32 NFL teams have at least one player from Clemson on its roster and nine have at least two former Tigers. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks have the most former Tigers with three apiece.

The players with the most experience in the NFL are Brian Dawkins and Trevor Pryce. Dawkins is in his 17th year in the league after playing 14 years with the Eagles and two years with the Denver Broncos. Pryce is in his 15th season in the NFL. Both have been multiple Pro Bowl selections.

Two former Tigers shifted teams on Saturday and both ended up on the same team. Nick Eason signed a free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals after spending the last three years with Pittsburgh. Former Clemson All-ACC receiver Chansi Stuckey also signed with Arizona after playing last year with Cleveland.

Notes: Sixteen members of Clemson’s ACC Atlantic Division Championship team are in NFL camps…former Tiger Da’Quan Bowers and Jarvis Jenkins, who were All-ACC players last year for the Tigers…Clemson has had at least one defensive end or tackle drafted each of the last six years…19 of the 31 players in camps played in at least one NFL game last year…Clemson has had 11 players drafted the last two years, seventh most in the nation for that period and the most for the Clemson program in consecutive years since 1998-99.

Tigers in NFL Camps (As of July 30, 2011)No. Player, Pos. – Team 68 Thomas Austin, C – New England Patriots 91 Da’Quan Bowers, DE – Tampa Bay Bucs 28 Crezdon Butler, CB – Pittsburgh Steelers 65 Miquel Chavis, DL – Pittsburgh Steelers 30 Chris Clemons, S – Miami Dolphins 53 Kavell Connor, LB – Indianapolis Colts 73 Jamie Cumbie, DL – Oakland Raiders 24 James Davis, RB – Washington Redskins 20 Brian Dawkins, S – Denver Broncos Nick Eason, DE – Arizona Cardinals 12 Jacoby Ford, WR – Oakland Raiders Marcus Gilchrist, CB – San Diego Chargers 19 Tyler Grisham, WR – Pittsburgh Steelers 25 Michael Hamlin, S – Jacksonville Jags 75 Chris Hairston, OT – Buffalo Bills Jamie Harper, RB – Tennessee Titans 56 LeRoy Hill, LB – Seattle Seahawks 24 Tye Hill, CB – Detroit Lions 99 Jarvis Jenkins, DT – Washington Redskins 41 Byron Maxwell, CB – Seattle Seahawks 46 DeAndre McDaniel, S – New Orleans Saints 97 Philip Merling, DE – Miami Dolphins 81 Michael Palmer, TE – Atlanta Falcons 93 Trevor Pryce, DE – New York Jets Barry Richardson, OT – Kansas City Chiefs 94 Ricky Sapp, DE – Philadelphia Eagles 97 Dorell Scott, DT – St. Louis Rams 28 C.J. Spiller, RB – Buffalo Bills Chansi Stuckey, WR – Arizona Cardinals 30 Rendrick Taylor, FB – Tampa Bay Bucs 59 Anthony Waters, LB – New Orleans Saints 6 Charlie Whitehurst, QB – Seattle Seahawks